Noodle
by TheArtistGirl
Summary: A knock on the door, a FedEx crate, no name or return address? And a 10-year-old Japanese girl who doesn't speak English at all! But damn can she play the guitar! (Just my own little version of Noodle spending her time at Kong Studios as a 10-year-old, amnesiac.) I DON'T OWN THESE CHARACTERS OR THEIR MUSIC! ALL RIGHTS RESERVED!
1. Chapter 1

First Gorillaz fanfic! Yay! This is a fic of the time Noodle arrived at Kong Studios. Yes, I know there are millions of fics like that, but I still wanna do one of my own, is that okay? Also, I am still a newbie in the fandom, so, please don't harp on me if I get something incorrect.

Also, the POV might switch from time to time so, make sure you don't get mixed up when reading.

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Chapter 1: Needing a Guitarist

Kong Studios, the home of three men looking to be a band. The three men are named Murdoc Niccals, Stuart Pot-but you can call him 2-D-, and Russel Hobbs. This all started when Murdoc crashed into Uncle Norms' Keyboard Emporium and knocked 2-D unconscious. It also made his eye turn black. And we're not talking a shiner type of black eye. No, his eye was literally black inside. One might assume he had no eye at all!

And since Murdoc was deservedly arrested for that incident, he had to look after the catatonic Stuart. But obviously, Murdoc was careless and as such, got into a second car accident that, while luckily brought Stuart out of his "vegetable" state, it also damaged his other eye.

Hence, Murdoc dubbed him "2-D" because of the iconic "two dents" in his head. Clever, maybe, but still quite rude. 2-D can still see of course, but his vision is a tad blurry.

Now despite his vision not being the best, 2-D can sing really well. That is one of the reasons why Murdoc placed him as the "frontman" of the band. The working title of their band was "Gorilla", but Murdoc still felt like that wasn't right. It was missing something.

Actually, a lot of things were missing something…

The band itself was missing a guitarist, and 2-D was missing his ex-girlfriend, Paula Cracker. Unfortunately those two events tied into each other horribly. Because up until last week, Paula WAS the guitarist for the band. And 2-D loved her very much, he was loopy over her.

That is… until she cheated on him.

Russel caught Paula and Murdoc having relations in one of the cubicles of Kong Studios. And it was disgusting! Not to mention that Russel is 2-D's best friend. So naturally, Russel grew very angry at Murdoc and Paula. So much so, that he broke Murdoc's nose in 5 places. Now, his nose already looked strange before due to already being broken several times, but now it just looked too ridiculous.

Needless to say, Paula was let go, and 2-D was heart broken. Murdoc kept insisting he did the blue haired man a favor, saying that Paula was "ugly" and "rubbish". But 2-D didn't care… And he didn't believe him either. Because if Murdoc really believed that, then he wouldn't have had sex with her.

Now, 2-D was laying in bed, his face down into the pillow. If someone could see his eyes right now, they'd see that they were red around the rims and also his cheeks were horribly stained with dry tears. He only occasionally made whimper noises and it hurt the back of his throat when he made them.

He finally lifted his head and looked down at his moist, tear-stained pillow. He wiped his nose, which was red, and sobbed lightly.

However, 2-D was tired of crying. He also hasn't eaten in 2 days, so, he was very hungry. Welp, no point in moping any longer. He had to eat in order to have energy for recording songs. As the "frontman", he HAD to be up at the ready whenever Murdoc needed him. Even though 2-D hasn't been speaking to Murdoc since the Paula incident, he still comes when he's called.

Like a dog…

In The Kitchen…

2-D slumpily entered the kitchen and was sort of, but not really, surprised to see Murdoc in the kitchen. Shirtless, only wearing jeans. His hair was greasy and black, his skin was a tan yellow colour with a green hue. Pulling a disgusted pout, 2-D pretended Murdoc did not exist and he slipped by him.

Murdoc looked up and saw 2-D open the fridge door. He pulled out a turkey container, mustard, and lettuce. Then he set it on the counter and reached for the bread.

Murdoc growled lowly at 2-D. He knew the black-eyed singer was giving him the silent treatment. Not that he minded not hearing him talk, but there was still something about this silence that set him on the edge. Any sign of defiance towards him made him wanna beat the tar out of someone.

Murdoc still had Band-Aid's on his sore nose. He wanted it to heal as fast as possible because reapplying medicine and bandages to it was irritating. And Murdoc HATED being annoyed. And everyone else hated seeing him annoyed too. Because they usually paid for it.

After making a sloppy turkey sandwich, 2-D sighed a depressed sigh and returned all the ingredients to their proper places. He thought about just leaving them out, but then retreated the thought so the food wouldn't spoil.

2-D took a bite of his sandwich and started to exit the kitchen. Just then, he felt a sharp pain in the back of his already sore skull. He didn't cry out in pain, but it still hurt. Turning around, he saw, of course, Murdoc huffing in anger at him. Both men said nothing to each other, but continued to ogle one another. 2-D looked down at the shoe on the floor. It was obvious now what Murdoc hit him with. A shoe.

Not finding anything else better to do, 2-D lightly kicked the shoe aside for no reason and exited the kitchen. As he made his way back to his bedroom, he spotted a large silhouette in the hall. It was obviously Russel, but 2-D pretended to be surprised to see him.

"Oh, uh, 'ey, Russ…" the blue haired man greeted him.

2-D's voice was high pitched but just an ounce of deepness was in it. It also held a tiny, but natural rasp. Although this rasp was much more prominent because of his raw throat. Crying does do that to a person's throat, but especially 2-D. He had always had bad sore throats when he got them. They were much worse during his childhood.

"Yo, 'D," the black man greeted back.

"Sandwich?"

2-D looked down at his sloppy excuse for a meal and shrugged. He then took another bite of it.

"I heard a thunk sound in the kitchen. Did Muds hit ya again?" Russel continued.

2-D merely shrugged again and swallowed.

"It's a routine, what can ye do?"

Russel hummed, and with his deep, ghostly sounding voice, it sounded more like the rumble of someone's stomach. It would send chills down anyone's spine if they heard it. 2-D felt the back of his head fizzle as the chills spread from the bottom of his spine to the very top and beyond.

"I'm turning in…" the singer said, wanting to be left alone.

As he walked past Russel, the aforementioned drummer grabbed 2-D's scrawny arm, holding him in place for a while. 2-D's black eyes widened for a brief second before going back to normal. What was Russ gonna do? A hug? An apology for something that wasn't even his fault?

Russel took in a deep breath and sighed.

That was all he ever did. He knew nothing he said or did would magically make 2-D feel better. He had to heal on his own. And knowing how fragile and breakable the blue haired singer was, it was probably gonna take a while before he was all better.

"Fanks, Russ… For tryin'... I 'preciate it." 2-D spoke softly.

Then he made his way into his room. He was going to watch a zombie movie, because he loved them very much. And also he hadn't watched any in quite some time. Probably doesn't help that he had his head down in a pillow for days and could only see black. Blurry black, but still, black.

As he watched the intro to the movie, he took bites of his sandwich which he chewed very slowly. Painfully slowly…

2-D didn't see it, and he wouldn't until morning, but a folded up envelope slid into his room from under the door. It had grisly handwriting on it, so, it was from Murdoc. And it said "Faceache" on it. Definitely from Murdoc Niccals. Only HE addressed 2-D with that "nickname".

2-D finished the sandwich. Some mustard had spread on his bony, bruised fingers, but he just carelessly licked it off. The tangy, bitter taste soothed him a little, but only a little. and his black eyes were still burning. Now that he was feeling a little better, he decided to take a bath.

But tomorrow… He was tired and wanted to sleep now.

Outside…

A large man was carrying a FedEx crate. It was pretty big and kinda heavy. He had no clue what was in it, but it was against his orders to tamper with the mail, so, he didn't look.

He lugged the crate up the hill and onto the hill. Sighing out a sigh of relief, he wiped the sweat from his brow. He knocked twice on the door and then turned to leave.

Somehow, that knocking sound woke up whatever was in that crate. The small being who WAS just curled up like a cat and sleeping, was now stirring in place and waking up. She yawned and rubbed her eyes to get the crust out of them.

"Nani? Nani ga okotte imasu ka?" the tiny child mumbled.

Suddenly, she heard the sound of a door opening, and it startled her. She peered through the slits of the boards that made up the crate she was in. She could faintly see a pale yellowish man with only jeans on standing outside. He whipped his head around, looking for whoever knocked. He saw nobody, but then laid his eyes, one red and one black, on the crate.

Murdoc stared at the crate for a good ten seconds before awkwardly turning his head around and opening his mouth.

"Russ! 2-D! You two better get the hell out here!"

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Done! Omg, I had quite a bit of fun writing this! I hope you guys like it so far. I know some things are different from the canon story or from other fics, but this is from my perspective, okay?

R&R!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The Girl in the Crate

"So, you just found this crate outside. No delivery man or nothing?"

Murdoc nodded at Russel.

"That's what I said, Russ," the former muttered.

Russel scratched his bald head and went to observe the crate. He ran his large fingers across the wood and gave it a light knock. 2 seconds later, there was a knock from inside! It made Russel's glowing white eyes widen.

2-D yelped like a puppy and backed away a few steps, his fingers trembling.

Raising one thick, black eyebrow, Russel ran a few tests. He knocked twice, and the same thing happened again, expect with two knocks this time. He knocked "Shave and a Haircut" and then whatever was inside responded with the "Two Bits" knock.

Russel turned to face Murdoc and 2-D. Murdoc tilted his head and 2-D gulped, obviously still scared of whatever was inside the crate. Then Murdoc nodded once, giving Russel the signal to open the crate.

The black man took in a deep breath, obviously nervous about what the contents of the crate were. Not as nervous as 2-D, but still on edge.

Using his immense strength, he pried the crate top open and peered inside. It was evening out, and so, there wasn't much lighting for him to see at this angle. So, he took a leap of faith and opened the crate all the way. 2-D yelped again, while Murdoc tensed up.

But Russel's expression merely softened when he saw what was inside.

"Russel! What is it?! What are we dealing with?!" Murdoc snapped, holding an empty bottle of Moonshine ready to strike.

The white-eyed drummer turned around and said:

"A little girl,"

Murdoc raised the bottle higher but once his half sober brain processed what Russel had said, he looked clueless. Was he mishearing what the larger man said?

"A… what?!" Murdoc demanded, his voice even more scratchy than usual.

Russel stepped aside so he could see. 2-D stood up straighter and opened his eyes so he could see the girl Russel claimed was inside.

A little girl with messy black hair that hung above her shoulders peeked out from inside. She was clearly from some Asian country, they could tell from her slanted eyes. She was only wearing a gray t-shirt that was at least twice her size, and there was a faint bruise on her forehead, possibly from bumping her head on the crate.

The small girl looked around at the three individuals surrounding her. She saw the shirtless Murdoc much more clearly now and saw that his hair was black like hers, but much more greasy and short. She looked over at 2-D and was confused at his eyes. Why did he not have pupils or irises? It was almost creepy.

She then looked up at Russel. Compared to her, he seemed like a giant from a bedtime story. His eyes were also strange; no pupils or irises and they looked like they were glowing, too.

She almost wanted the crate to be closed again.

She shrunk back down a little and blinked.

"Stand down, guys, I think she's frightened." Russel told his bandmates.

Murdoc smirked.

"Well, I _am_ pretty frightening, heheh…" the Satanist chuckled darkly.

Russel glared at him; he was not helping in any way, shape, or form. But he shrugged it off and turned back to the small child. The drummer knelt down to appear less intimidating, even offering a warm smile to the small Japanese child.

"Hey, there, little one. Are you okay?" he cooed.

The tiny girl felt her heartbeat stop racing a little. This man appeared to be friendly and even father-like. Still, she couldn't understand the bizarre language he was using? What was he saying?

"Watashi o kizutsukenaide kudasai, sensei…" the black haired girl pleaded softly.

Russel raised his eyebrows. He could only understand a few of the words the girl uttered.

'Sensei… often meaning teacher or doctor? Or "sir" maybe?' he thought, trying to make out her language.

Well, no use keeping her out here in the crate. Better bring her inside and see if they can figure something out. He only hoped the child would let him touch her. Worth a shot!

"Hey, little girl, why don't you come inside with us?"

While he said this, he made gestures to try and make her understand what he was trying to convey. He gestured to himself and the others. Then he held out his hand, trying to make her okay with physical contact before picking her up.

She looked at him for a minute then at his large hand. She knew he could easily crush her if she wasn't careful, but he didn't seem to want to hurt her? He looked friendly despite his inhuman appearance. Gulping and sighing, she shakily reached her tiny hand out and rested it on his palm.

Russel smiled and nodded once, knowing she was okay now.

He carefully reached under her arms and picked her up in his arms, being careful not to crush her scrawny form in his immense strength. The small Asian girl inhaled his scent once he was close in proximity. He smelled like meat and a warm kitchen, and this was somewhat comforting to her.

She moaned in sleepiness and comfort and snuggled into his shirt.

Russel held her closer and supported her bottom with his hand. He turned to Murdoc and 2-D, who remained speechless the whole time.

"I'll take her inside and get her fed, she feels kind of thin. You two carry the crate inside so we can study it."

After carrying the half-sleeping child into Kong, Murdoc and 2-D looked at each other. Both of them were very tired and ready to go to sleep at that moment. Most definitely not in any mood to carry some heavy crate inside. Not to mention 2-D still felt spite from being near Murdoc.

Murdoc growled and bared his inhumanely sharp teeth at the singer. He also hated this very predicament. It was almost 9 p.m. and he was in no mood for the bullshit happening right now. Let alone the bullshit that happened a week ago with his nose being broken.

2-D said nothing to Murdoc but wore a hateful glare as he went over to the crate. It wasn't as heavy now that the girl was out of it, but still pretty heavy. Plus 2-D wasn't the most fit or even well rested at the moment, so, he almost dropped the crate a few times.

Murdoc grew annoyed with the clumsy blue haired man and gave him a hand with the crate. He would much rather hit him over the head and break his arm, but then he'd suffer Russel's wrath. And he already had a broken nose; he REALLY didn't want a broken spine or arm.

But despite the obvious hatred the two men held for each other, they both were thinking the same question:

Who the hell is this girl and why was she sent?

Meanwhile…. Inside…

Russel wasn't sure if the girl was allergic to anything, but he couldn't just let her starve any longer. So, he took a leap of faith with at least one thing from each food group. He gave her a small steak he never finished, a bowl of carrots, a plate of pineapple slices, and a buttered piece of toast.

Upon seeing the food that was set in front of her, the girl's stomach grumbled even more. It almost gave her pain because of how hungry she was. She couldn't remember the last time she ate anything. And she had limited rations in the crate, but also a large bottle of water. She must have traveled for almost a week before getting here.

She wanted to go for the steak first, since it smelled the most appetizing for her. But she was having trouble cutting it. Especially since it was just a fork she was trying to use. Russel spotted her distress and almost face-palmed himself when he realized that this little girl probably didn't even know how to cut her own meat.

"Hold on," he said, even though he knew she didn't speak English.

He quickly grabbed a steak knife, perfect for cutting meat of any kind. Not just steak. Russel pulled the plate towards himself and cut the steak into tiny bite-sized squares for her. This made it easier for the tiny girl to eat the steak. After just one bite, she quickly devoured the rest of the meat.

Russel chuckled at her in amusement. She was like a hungry little pup who quickly gobbled up its meal in fear of other animals coming to get it before she could even take a single bite.

After finishing the steak, she quickly reached for the toast and carrots, taking bites of her toast and then the carrots. One after the other.

"Wow, she's a hungry 'lil gal, isn't she?" a middle pitched British voice piped up.

Russel looked back and saw 2-D. He had set the crate down in front of him and huffed. Murdoc was also beside him, but quickly walked away from the bluenette.

"So, where do you recon she came from, lards?"

Russel glared at the bassist but restrained from beating the tar out of him in the company of the child. He scratched his shiny, bald head.

"Well, she's obviously from Japan. I recognize some words as Japanese ones, but who sent her and why, I have no clue." he admitted.

Murdoc hummed in thought. Since his voice was scratchy, his hum sounded gravelly and like he had phlegm in his throat. He looked at the Asian child who had just finished the toast and carrots and was currently on her last piece of pineapple. He couldn't tell if the oversized t-shirt was really all that oversized or if it was because she hadn't eaten and was obviously thin.

"So, what are we gonna do with 'er?" 2-D asked.

Russel rubbed his chin in thought. That was a tough one… What WERE they gonna do with this tiny girl. They couldn't just send her on her way, she was obviously very confused and didn't know where she was. Of course, they couldn't just keep her either! This studio wasn't the ideal place for a child to live; especially one who couldn't read or speak English.

Besides, they wouldn't be the best "parents" for her…

Russel was brought out of his thoughts when he felt a tiny tug on his baggy pants. He looked down at the girl who looked at him with pleading eyes.

"Toire... Shite kudasai…" she said.

Russel looked at her in confusion.

"Huh? What, what is it?" he asked, kneeling down.

She groaned in discomfort and pressed her legs together, holding her hands over her groin area. Suddenly, Russel understood. She needed the bathroom.

Later…

2-D and Murdoc were still in the living room, but as far away from each other as possible. Russel had taken the girl to the bathroom, and was actually taking a little while to finish up with her. How long does it even take a child to use the bathroom?

'Well, she was in a crate… I can't imagine how long she was holding all that in.' 2-D thought.

Murdoc had gotten himself a fresh bottle of alcohol, but it was whiskey this time. He had already polished off half the bottle in the 10 minutes that had passed since the girl left the room. The girl had him befuddled. Why did she get sent to them? They didn't order a little girl. In fact, Murdoc was sure he never wanted to be around a kid. Not that he hated them, of course, but since he never had any of his own, he wasn't sure what to make of some random, Japanese girl just showing up at their door.

It was a puzzler… a REAL puzzler indeed...

* * *

Done! I was gonna end this chapter off much earlier, but I decided to make it longer. And yes, Noodle is wearing an over-sized shirt. I feel like Mr. Kyouza, her mentor, would wanna dispose of any clothing she wore when he erased her memory.

And, yes, Noodle did have food in the crate, but not much. And she was wearing a Pull-Up, in case she had any accidents. But I'm sure she held a lot in so she wouldn't feel "uncomfortable".

R&R!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Getting Comfortable

2-D's POV

Well it had now been 20 minutes, and Russel was only now coming out of the bathroom. He was holding the little girl, who looked actually a bit better now. Whatever happened in there with her and Russ must have really meant something to her.

"There you two are! What took you so bloody long?!" Murdoc demanded.

His loud, gravelly voice made my ears ring. I mean, he wasn't really yelling or screaming, but my ears are sensitive, so, I'm more affected by it. But the ringing stopped after 2 seconds.

"I had to check her over to make sure she wasn't sick or hurt." Russel replied back calmly.

I stood up, my legs were a tad shaky. I wanted to look at the girl a little closer now that I'm feeling a bit less wary of her. I know, pathetic that I'm scared of a little girl who's not even half my size.

I got closer to Russ and the girl. She looked at me with her dark eyes. I couldn't tell what she was thinking, but she looked like she was trying to figure me out? I reached my hand out to her very slowly, my fingers jittering. She scrunched up a little, but I still reached out. I turned my hand over so my palm was facing up. I wanted her to touch me like she did with Russel earlier.

Russel smiled and took her tiny hand in his own and placed it on mine. He hands were so much tinier than mine, but they also appeared to be bony and thin like my own fingers. But I felt a little happy holding her hand. I felt my mouth curve up into a wiggly smile.

"E-Ello, luv… I'm 2-D.." I introduced myself.

The tiny girl just tilted her head in confusion. Oh, right, she can't speak English. Well, maybe someday we'll teach her and she'll know better!

"Erm… 2-D. 2-D is my name." I tried again, gesturing to myself.

She didn't say anything for a while, but her eyes kept moving around, looking all over me. And what she said next, caught us all off guard.

"T-Too...chee?"

My hyphema-affected eyes widened and I gasped. My chest felt airy and light and my smile got more wide.

"Well, look at that! I guess she can learn some English words, after all!" Russel cheered.

I also cheered, sounding kind of like a monkey on accident, but the little girl seemed to like it. She giggled and bounced in Russel's arms while clapping.

Well, I guess Murdoc didn't like us being joyful, but what else is new, and he just rudely butted in.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, giggles and fun time and all that shit. Just shut up and focus."

Russel glared at him, telling him to watch his language. I agreed with him, we don't want this tiny girl to be learning any bad words, after all. I didn't say this verbally, though. For two reasons:

1\. Murdoc would go Ozzy Osbourne on me and bite my head off.

2\. I still didn't wanna talk to that arsehole.

"What in Satan's name are we gonna do with this sprout?" Murdoc asked, pointing to the girl.

Russel patted the girl's head.

"Well, I think until we figure out where she came from and how to get her home, she'll have to stay here." he answered.

Murdoc's eyes widened and his mouth fell open.

"What? No way! I'm not some babysitter! I wouldn't know the first thing about taking care of a kid!" he snapped.

Russel held the child closer, a sign of paternal protection. Is that what they call it? Yeah, I think so. But I'm also with Russ on this one. I liked this girl and wanted to take care of her as well. At least, until we can find her mum or dad. A girl like her should be with her family.

"Murdoc, it's only for a little while! Besides, I never said YOU were gonna take care of her!" Russel replied sternly.

"I think 'D and I can do just fine without your whining!"

Murdoc's eye twitched and his sharp teeth were bared. He clenched his empty bottle of whiskey so hard, cracks were forming in the bottle. The tiny, sharp sounds of glass cracking made my spine tingle.

"Fine! But she better be out soon!"

With that, Murdoc stormed off. I guess he was going to his winnebago to get even more drunk or high or whatever the hell he does in there. Gosh, I don't even wanna know what he does in there… He could be working to summon a demon in there for all we know.

I turned to Russel who sighed in exhaustion. I looked at my cracked wristwatch and saw it was 9:24 p.m.

"Ey, Russ, ya fink we should turn in for the night?" I asked.

Russel looked up at me with his glowing white eyes. He was obviously tired like me; I could see the dark circles under his eyelids. Yeah, he definitely wanted to turn in for the night. And the little girl looked pretty sleepy too. She must have traveled quite far…

"Yeah, I wanna sleep, 'D… But first I have to run to the store to get this girl some clean clothes." Russel explained.

"Of course… That doesn't mean she shouldn't sleep. I should put her to bed real quick."

When I heard this, I agreed with him. But we shouldn't just put her in a big room by herself, either. Heaven knows what she might feel. Besides, what if a zombie gorilla got in and ate the little sprout? Or what if Murdoc came in, all drunk, and he hurt her?

"Erm, Russ? I'll let 'er sleep in my room for tonight. That way I can keep an eye on the little one." I offered, fidgeting with my thin fingers.

Russel looked at me for a while then nodded. He smiled and walked over to me with the girl, handing her over to me when he was close enough. I nervously took her, and I was shocked to find she wasn't that heavy. I could also feel her bony ribs through her large t-shirt; Russel was right… She IS thin.

She looked up at me with her dark eyes and blinked innocently. My chest felt a bit funny, but in a good way. I smiled down at the girl. I felt a little embarrassed considering a few of my front teeth were missing and I thought that might scare her. But actually, she wasn't shaking at all, so, she wasn't scared.

"Too… chee?" she cooed again.

I swear, my heart feels weird… It's like cute things make it melt or something. Either way, I'm feeling a little happier now. I can't even remember why I was depressed a few hours ago, anyway. This girl must have magical depression curing abilities... Cool.

Later…

Normal POV

2-D took the little Japanese girl to his room and set her on the floor so she could explore. She looked around while standing in one place for a while. She then took tiny steps forward and took in all she saw. She saw a messy bed with white bedspread, a box T.V. on the floor that was rolling the ending credits of some kind of film, and scattered clothes all over the floor.

"Erm, sorry about the mess, luv. I'm not used to… having company." 2-D admitted.

The girl didn't seem to mind or hear him. She was too busy trying to figure out the strange room she had been brought into. Then her black eyes saw something at 2-D's feet. It looked like an envelope with writing on it. She tried scurrying over to it to pick it up, but the large grey t-shirt she wore tripped her and caused her to fall over.

2-D gasped in shock and worry when the girl's face made contact with the floor. She quickly picked her head up and revealed tears in her eyes. She whimpered a few Japanese phrases before starting to cry. She wiped the tears away from her eyes only to have more fall and stream down her tan cheeks.

2-D's eyebrows arched in a sad way. He didn't like hearing the tiny girl cry. So, he did something to help her feel better. He crouched down to pick her up. He scooped her up in his lanky arms and held her close to him. He hushed her and whispered into her ears.

"Shh, there, there… it's alright, lil' luv…" he told her, patting her back.

The girl sniffled and whimpered. She felt comfortable in 2-D's arms, though. She wrapped her skinny arms around his shoulders to pull herself closer into his shape. His scent was a mix of pizza and laundry detergent. Weird as it was, she loved being closer to him, inhaling his scent.

"I get hurt, too. All the time. But I still get up again… I know you can, too." 2-D said.

The girl's tears eventually dried up, and she felt better. She was really growing to like this kind man who went by the name "Toochee". His blue hair was strange, but still cool. And his black eyes were scary at first, but now she wasn't scared at all. He was so kind and gentle and warm.

So warm that she fell asleep instantly.

* * *

Done! Oh my gosh this chapter was heavy. And yes, Murdoc isn't too fond of having to "babysit" a little girl. Like I said, I don't think he hates kids, he just doesn't really feel like being around them all the time.

And I'm sorry if you're annoyed with Noodle not being referred to by her name. I just wanna wait until she actually tells them her name. And she will do her guitar thing next chapter. Then I will be able to start using her name!

R&R!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: 200 Demons Screaming in Arabic

 **Noodle's POV**

My head feels a little heavy… I wanna lift it. I did. I lifted my head and rubbed my eyes. I looked around and saw that it was a little bit lit in the room. The man, Toochee, was beside me and still asleep. He looked so kawaii just laying down and breathing. I pecked his forehead to show that I loved him already.

I decided he'll be my onii-chan.

I was hungry, my stomach made a noise. I wanted to eat something and drink something. I put my hands on Toochee and jiggled him.

"Toochee, Toochee, mewosamasu." I say with feeling.

Onii-chan didn't wake up that fast, so, I kept trying. No stopping, only keeping on going. I did it again and again until Toochee finally opened his eyes. His eyes were still all black. What happened to onii-chan's eyes? Did a demon cat take them? If it did, I'll protect him so he can be safe for until the end of forever.

Toochee started talking, but I couldn't understand him. This makes me upset that I can't understand his words. I wanna learn! I wanna learn! That way I can teach him Japanese. We can teach to each other.

"Onii-chan, watashi wa kūfukudesu, taberu koto ga dekimasu ka?" I say to him, blinking.

He tilted his head at me. His blue hair was all spiky and it tilted with his head. Cute, very cute! I reached up to touch it.

"Aoi.. aoi…" I say, playing with his hair.

Then he said more words. Wait, I know that language's name. It's English! I don't know English, though… Oh, wait! I know one word! I was gonna say it, but I heard footsteps. Both Toochee and me looked over and saw the big, brown man standing in the doorway. I loved him already, too. Yesterday, I decided he would be my otosan. I hear people use this phrase "Russ" around him, too. Maybe his name is Russ?

"Russ? Russ?" I call.

Otosan smiled at me and waved. I decided to wave back. Toochee-oniichan waved back and started using English. I wanted to understand! Hmph!

 **Normal POV**

"Oh, ey, Russel. How ye doin'?" 2-D asked in a friendly voice.

Russel nodded and responded.

"I'm 'aight, and you?"

2-D yawned and stretched.

"I'm tired, but I guess I'm okay. The lil' sprout is talking Japanese again. She keeps calling me somefing weird." he added.

"What is it?" Russel asked the singer.

"Erm… Onii...chan?"

Russel's glowing white eyes seemed a little brighter and his lips curled up into a smile. A chuckle was added to his gestures. He knew what that phrase meant.

"Oh? I see." he said. "That's cute, 'D."

2-D tilted his head in confusion. Why did Russel think the word "onii-chan" was cute? He was obviously glad it wasn't an insulting name, but he also wanted to know what it meant. He wanted to know why it was so adorable.

"What, uh, what does it mean, Russel?" 2-D asked the possessed drummer.

Russel laughed and walked into the room. He sat on the bed, making the fabric jump at the contact of his immense weight.

"It means "big brother", man. She's calling you her big brother." he explained.

2-D's cheeks turned pink and his eyes widened. He felt his heart flutter around like a little butterfly that was happy. The singer was an only child and never even thought about having a brother or sister. And yet, this strange, foreign girl that has only known him for a day decides to call him her big brother?

How… beautiful…

2-D smiled at the tiny girl who smiled back, showing her pearly whites. Then her stomach growled again, showing her need and want for food of the breakfast variety. Both 2-D and Russel exchanged looks to each other.

"You can cook her breakfast. I'mma give her a bath and dress her properly." the latter said.

He held up a plastic shopping bag he had purchased the night before. It obviously held quite a few things in it for a young girl to wear. Things like underwear, tops, bottoms, and a special item Russel thought she might have liked.

2-D nodded at Russel, confirming he would cook her something. He would do more than his personal best to make sure he wouldn't burn or undercook anything for this girl who had addressed him so dearly. Heh, he had a… sister.

 **Later…**

Russel had ran a bath for the Japanese child, making sure the water was just the right temperature. Not too hot, not too cold. Just right. Once the tub was full, he turned to her.

"Okay, little one, arms up." he said, raising his arms up to demonstrate.

She understood, and raised her arms.

"Hai!" she chirped.

Russel reached down to the bottom of the oversized grey t-shirt she wore. He lifted it up and over her head. She only remained in her pink pull-up now. She was embarrassed of what she was wearing. She was old enough to where she didn't have to wear such an object, but yet here she was, wearing it.

Not to mention it was extremely uncomfortable to wear.

Russel quickly removed the pull up, disposed of it, cleaned the girl so she wasn't as dirty, and then placed her in the tub. She quickly grew to like the warm temperature of the bath water and smiled.

"U~ōmu…" she cooed, sinking a little deeper into the warm water.

Russel smiled and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a tiny rubber duck that he had purchased at the store and showed it to her. The Asian girl gasped and grew wide eyed and smiley faced at the sight of the rubber duck. Russel saw how happy she got, and squeezed the toy twice, making it emit two quacking noises.

"Ahiru! Ahiru!" she exclaimed, reaching for the toy with grabby fingers.

Not wanting to torture her any longer, Russel handed her the toy which she took immediately. She squeezed it enthusiastically, making it quack merrily.

"Ahiru! Kuwakku! Kuwakku!~" she giggled, kissing the rubber object.

Russel watched the girl with fascination. She seemed to be no older than 10 years old and yet she acted like a five year old. It was… adorable. And it was asstounding how quickly she adjusted to Kong Studios. He was worried she'd still be scared of him and the others. Not mention this whole studio! But she seemed actually excited about where she was.

'I guess she's just happy she's not in a crate anymore.' the drummer thought.

 **Meanwhile…**

2-D had flipped the pancake and saw that the side he was just cooking wasn't too burnt. In fact, it looked normal! Good! He wanted things to be just right for the girl. That reminded him… What was her name? It was probably a Japanese name like Suki or maybe Ash?

'No, wait… That's a boy's name. Like that one boy on that series about little pocket monsters?'

2-D had already forgotten what that show was called. He wasn't much for kid's cartoons; he preferred zombie movies.

Just then, a grumble sounded from behind him. He looked back even though he already knew who it was. Sure enough, he saw a shirtless Murdoc Niccals standing a few feet away from him. He had dark shades of purple under his two-toned eyes dried alcohol around his cracked lips. Yep, he was really hungover.

2-D bowed his head slightly to greet him, feeling a little less like giving him the silent treatment. He still couldn't remember why he was mad at him yesterday? Or for the past week, anyway.

Murdoc growled lowly at the blue haired singer and flicked his forehead. 2-D yelped in slight pain. Some things just never change...

"So, I take it the brat is still here?" the bassist grumbled.

2-D nodded and rubbed the tiny sore spot with two fingers to make the pain go away. Murdoc sighed and sat at the dining table, holding his aching head. 10 bottles of scotch is definitely too much; next time, he'll just do 9.

Murdoc traced the spirals in the wooden table, his nails untrimmed and chipped. Not like he really cared about the state of his nails, or his body in general. He drank carelessly, isolated himself in a winnebago, and swore like a sailor. Definitely no regard for personal health or anything like that on this guy.

2-D flipped the pancake over one last time before transferring it to a plate. He poured maple syrup all over it then smiled in pride at his work. He then headed to the fridge to grab a carton of orange juice.

"What the bloody hell are you doing?" Murdoc asked irritably.

"I'm making the lil' sprout some breakfast while Russ gives 'er a bath." 2-D answered.

Murdoc's ears twitched. Was 2-D actually talking to him? Nah, that can't be right. He must still be suffering from the bad parts of the hangover and is hearing things

2-D grabbed down a small cup and poured orange juice into it. He then grabbed the plate and the cup, bringing it over to the table. He sat in front of an empty seat diagonally from Murdoc's. The singer then zoomed off down the hall.

Murdoc's eye twitched.

"What the hell is the dullard doing now?" the Satanist man wondered.

He eyed the breakfast that 2-D made for the girl. It actually looked pretty good. Not like that gross sandwich he made last night. Maybe he did better on this meal because he's feeling a little happier? But why?

'I wonder if it's because of that little girl?' Murdoc thought.

2-D came back into the dining room with a vase. In it was a partially wilted flower. He set it on the center of the table then stepped back with a goofy, but oddly proud, grin on his face. He acted like a child that just got an A+ on a test that would later get put up on the fridge.

Murdoc was befuddled at how happy 2-D was right now. He hadn't seen him this happy since… Well, actually, he hasn't seen him this happy at all. He's hardly ever seen him smile since the day they met. It was almost too much happiness to bear!

"Ugh, stop smiling like a dope…" Murdoc grumbled.

"I can't. The smile is stuck to my face." 2-D admitted truthfully.

Murdoc almost jerked so hard he broke his spine. Did 2-D just _speak_ to him again?! He hasn't spoken to him in at least a week! That little girl must have magical depression curing abilities, after all.

"You're gonna start talking to me again, dullard?" Murdoc checked, still not believing his ears.

2-D nodded.

"Why not, Muds?" the azure headed man added.

Murdoc didn't reply. He didn't know whether or not to be angry, annoyed, or relieved. By the way, did he get the letter from him? Maybe that's why he's so happy?

'What I wrote wasn't even sentimental…' Murdoc thought.

 **Later…**

Russel looked over the Japanese girl. She looked much better with cleaner hair and fresh clothing that was her size. And he was sure she felt more comfortable out of that Pull-Up.

"Well, baby girl, how do you feel?" Russel asked, flashing her a toothy smile.

The girl saw a few of his teeth were gold, and that was interesting to her. She smiled back and giggled.

Russel took this as confirmation that she felt much better.

2-D tilted his head; his spiky blue locks falling to the side naturally with the tilt. How should he answer this? Why was he even mad at Murdoc and giving him the silent treatment again? He did something heartbreaking… What was it?

'Um… it was something to do with my… ex-girlfriend, right?'

Now he remembered. Murdoc had an affair with Paula in the toilets and Murdoc's nose was broken by Russel. THAT'S why he was mad and giving him the silent treatment. How could he forget so easily?

2-D looked at Murdoc's nose which still had Band-Aid's and dried blood on them. He still had a while to go before his nose fully healed.

"Er, maybe. But I still don't like what you did, so, I can't really forgive you or nofing." Stuart replied simply.

Murdoc wasn't sure how to respond. He just stared at 2-D wondering why he was being so calm and even a tiny bit good natured to him. It almost made the bassist sick. And he would have told him to sod off if Russel's ghostly deep voice hadn't sounded first.

"Oh, good. You two are talking again." he said.

2-D looked behind Russel to see a few strands of black hair sticking out. The little girl was obviously nervous about her newer, fresher look.

"Yeh, well, Faceache is lacking in brains, so, of course he'd forgotten why he was mad. No going back now, though." Murdoc replied, resting his chin in his palm and planting his elbow on the table.

Russel sighed.

"He's a lot smarter than you give him credit for…"

2-D grinned. He was happy to have a best friend like Russel in his life. He at least had one person who could and would defend himself against Murdoc's abuse and bullying. He wasn't sure what the little Japanese girl would do. Probably nothing, unless she knows karate, of course.

"Hey, lil baby girl, wanna come out?" Russel chuckled.

She peeked her head out from behind Russel's leg. 2-D thought it was cute how tiny she was compared to Russel; how tiny she was compared to all of them. She couldn't have been more than 10 or 11 years old.

"It's alright, lil luv. We wanna see you, so, you can come out." 2-D said in a sweet voice.

The girl made a tiny squeak before taking tender steps out from behind Russel. She was now wearing a red, coat-like top, matching shorts, and carmine shoes. Her black hair now looked moe neat and tame, but also spiky and very Japanese.

"Arigatou, R-Russ. Watashi wa fuku ni kansha shimasu." she said, looking up at Russel.

Russel recognized the word "arigatou" and he knew it meant thank you. He remembered the phrase for you're welcome.

"Dōitashimashite, baby girl."

He pronounced it as best as he could without stumbling over the syllables. The tiny girl seemed fascinated with his Japanese word. She was probably thinking he spoke Japanese too. Or maybe just a little? She couldn't tell.

Murdoc rolled his two-toned eyes.

"Well, I guess she doesn't look too terrible now." he muttered.

Russel nodded. She looked MUCH better now that she was clean, in better clothes, and well fed. And speaking of which…

"Hey, go eat, baby girl. Don't want that food to get cold, do you?" Russel said, gesturing to the food on the table.

She saw it and her dark eyes seemed to sparkle with stars. She zoomed over to the food and started eating it excitedly. Again, to Russel it seemed to resemble a dog that wanted to quickly eat its food before some other animal decided to steal or even graze at it. He just hoped she would gain more weight that was suitable for her age. She should weigh at least 70 pounds for someone her size and age.

(A/N: Don't quote me on that!)

Murdoc turned his attention away from the hungry girl and back to his two bandmates. He had something he wanted to discuss with them. Something that they still needed to sort out in their band before they could actually BE a band.

"Alright, you lot. We still need to get a guitarist, then we can be a band and start making those award winning songs." the Satanist said.

They were all seated in the living room. The girl was also in the living room, playing around with a rubber ball. It belonged to Murdoc, but he stated she could use it since he wasn't in the slammer anymore. No reason for him to wanna use it now.

"Ya fink anyone saw our NME ad?" 2-D asked.

Murdoc shrugged.

"Dunno,"

Russel rubbed his chin in thought. Where _were_ they gonna get a guitarist? What if no one was interested in their ad? Would they just remain without a guitarist forever? Murdoc would really lose his patience before then.

The Japanese girl bounced the dusty, rubber ball hard. Perhaps a bit too hard, as it ricocheted off the wall, to the ceiling, past 2-D's face, and into the crate.

The crate she arrived in.

The tiny child gasped and ran to retrieve it.

"Matsu! Matsu!" she exclaimed.

The three men watched her with curiosity as she hopped up onto the crate. She tried reaching in to grab the toy, but slipped and tumbled in.

"Wah!" she yelped.

Russel's glowing white eyes widened. He quickly rushed over to see if she was okay. He looked inside the crate and saw she was fine. She popped out of the box, but she wasn't holding the ball, she was actually holding a guitar.

'How did I not see that in there before?' Russel wondered.

"What's the sprout got there?" Murdoc asked, tilting his head over to see what it was.

"Looks like a guitar. A pre-y cool lookin' one, too" 2-D said, his Cockney accent on point.

Russel stood back and allowed the girl to jump out of the crate. She carried the guitar over to the center of the room. She seemed fascinated with the instrument. Almost as if she was in love with it…

She used her fingers to gingerly strum the strings. A small, gentle sound emitted from it. Looking up at Murdoc, Russel, and 2-D, she suddenly felt an urge. A need. A want, even.

She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly.

She grasped the guitar tightly and strummed the strings again to test it. It sounded fine. Then, she began to play. It sounded medium in volume and tempo at first, but the more she played, the more confidence she felt dwelling within her. It started in her stomach and raised up to her heart.

Suddenly, she started shredding that guitar! It threw everyone for a loop and sent them flying! Not literally, though. She continued to shred the solo and whip her black hair around.

She pauses and then did the most bizzare thing ever. She did karate kicks, all the while yelling Japanese words. Finally, she landed perfectly on the floor, ending her dramatic performance with a bow.

As she bowed, a word came to her mind. She remembered it as her favourite word and also the only English word she knew. As she brought her head up to gaze upon the slack-jawed, wide-eyed men, she uttered the word:

"Noodle."

* * *

 **Done! Oh wow, this was so cute! I love how Noodle went from shy, to speedy, to playful, to just kick-ass awesome!**

And the next chapter will be the chapter that I shall start using her name instead of "the girl" or "the tiny child" and so on.

Also, at the beginning of the chapter when it was Noodle's POV, I was trying to make her descriptive vocabulary as broken and childish as possible.

R&R!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Welcome to the Band

It had all happened too fast: A girl with memory loss shows up in a crate at Kong, wiggles her way into the hearts of two out of the three men living there, she shreds a guitar solo, and on top of that, she says…

 _Noodle?!_

"Um… what?!" Russel booms.

Murdoc hadn't said anything. He looked shocked still, with his jaw all slacked, but really he was thinking long and hard. 2-D still looked bewildered but then shook his head rapidly.

"Um, Noodle? Like the food?" he asked.

He scratched his head in confusion. Was she hungry for noodles? No, she just ate a big breakfast. Was she trying to be funny? He didn't get it!

The girl seemed to pick up on his confusion and then continued. She pointed to herself, repeating the word Noodle. She seemed to be introducing herself? Was that it then?

"Oh! Is yer name Noodle then, luv?" 2-D asked.

She pointed to herself one last time and said very slowly: "Noo-da-ru". But they knew it was meant to sound like Noodle. She was Japanese and had that Japanese accent that made words sound more stalled. 2-D's face lit up.

"Oh, so it is! Yay! We finally know 'er name, Russel!" the blue haired man cheered.

Russel rubbed his large hand on his shiny, bald head. Was that really her name? Or was she only saying that because it was possibly the only English word she knew? Well, either way, she seemed to insist that that was her name. So, looks like they're gonna call her Noodle!

"A'ight, man, if you say so." Russel agreed.

Noodle giggles at the awkward vibe Russel felt. She could sense it a mile away. She wasn't sure why, because she still couldn't understand a freaking word they're saying. But they aren't mad or upset, so Noodle was happy. And now they knew who she was, too. Double points!

Murdoc finally made a move. He stood up and walked over to Noodle. She looked up at him with a confused expression on her innocent face. Murdoc looked down at her with an oddly happyish face. Then he reached his hand out to her. Noodle made a tiny noise and her attention shifted from Murdoc to his hand. His nails were so grisly and untrimmed. Reluctantly, she raised her tiny hand and Murdoc took it; he shook it graciously. He then leaned down to her level with a smirk on his face.

"Welcome to the band, luv." he said in his trademark voice.

He then stood back up straight, releasing Noodle's hand in the process. Then, with a shit-eating grin on his face, he turned to his other bandmates.

"Well, lads, we now have our guitarist! We can be a band now!" he announced.

2-D tilted his head. Was Murdoc serious about this? One minute he says he wants Noodle out as fast as possible, now he's saying she'll be the guitarist? Did Noodle even agree to that? Will she even understand how to be part of a band? Does she even know what she signed up for?!

Well, Russel was also not so keen on Murdoc's decision. He didn't hate the girl, but he still didn't think Kong Studios was the best place for a 10 year old girl to live. And while Russel thinks he's more or less qualified to handle her, and 2-D seems to like her, he wasn't sure growing up around Murdoc was a good idea. And at the same time, he wasn't sure about himself either!

He told this to Murdoc, and yet the bassist still pressed forward.

"Nonsense, lards! She already loves it here! And like you said, you and the dullard can handle her just fine!" he chortled.

Russel sighed and dragged his hand down his face.

"Murds, that's not the only issue we have. This isn't just some money you find on the ground. This is a living, breathing, little girl who has memory loss, she can't even speak our language, and again, she is a little girl!"

Murdoc rolled his two toned eyes at the white eyed drummer.

"So?"

"SO… She probably has parents who are worried sick about her. And we can't just take in a random kid so simply. If we did that without reporting her to the authorities, we'd be breaking the law and practically be kidnapping her and keeping her captive."

Murdoc sighed. He was really getting annoyed with Russel right now. Why did he have to be so level-headed like that? Sure it helps certain things, but it can also interfere with his plans.

"Well, you two _like_ her don't ye?~" Murdoc said, trying not snap.

Russel made a quizzical face. 2-D nodded at Murdoc. He even went over to Noodle and hoisted her up in his scrawny arms. She didn't oppose or seem to mind; she even clung to him.

"Yeah, she's a… little ball of sunshine. Reminds me of how I used to be when I was growing up." Russel answered, a solemn expression gracing his face.

"Yeh, and I think I'm taking a liking to her, too. So if you wanna handle this legally, be my guest. Either way, she will be our guitarist and we will be a success!" Murdoc babbled on.

"And 'sides, all ya gotta do is fill out some stupid papers and then, boom, she's ours right?"

Russel looked up at the bassist. He would have rolled his eyes if he still had pupils. Murdoc really did not know anything about how kids and adopting them worked. Still, Noodle did do a hell of a good job with the Les Paul guitar she had, and he even thought it'd be nice to have a _little_ innocence in this studio. Not that 2-D wasn't innocent, but still; never hurts to keep adding.

So, with a deep breath and a cleared mind, Russel crossed his arms and made a firm stance towards Murdoc.

"Okay, we can keep her. On a few conditions, Murdoc."

The man with yellowish skin raised his eyebrow. Though, you couldn't really see because of his bangs covering his whole forehead.

"Number one, everyone, that means YOU, will treat the g- I mean… Noodle with respect. This includes refraining from swearing around her, wearing at least a pair of pants around the house, and no "laying your hands on her". Number two, you will help us take good care of her, meaning helping feed her and also keeping her outta trouble. Number three, no dragging her away on anything illegal or anywhere she ain't supposed to go. Okay, Muds?"

Murdoc wasn't sure how he didn't fall asleep during Russel's lecture. Maybe it was because he was determined to succeed in the music department at any cost. And, well… if success, fame, and fortune costs helping take care of Noodle, then fine, he'll do it.

He said this to Russel, leaving out the sentimental nonsense, as he would call it. He added in:

"But in return, I also want you to try and teach her English. Not only will it be hard for her to work on music with us if she can't at least understand what she's saying, but also it'll help with the whole "parenting" thing."

Russel nodded.

"Okay, 'D. I'mma have to take her fo' a sec. We need to sort this out." the drummer said.

2-D nodded. He hugged Noodle and handed her off to Russel. She automatically snuggled into him. She whispered several Japanese phrases to him. He picked up a few like "warm" and "smell good". He patted her back gently with his big hand.

"Won't be long," he said to the two men before heading out.

2-D was now left alone with Murdoc. That was never good. But Murdoc seemed to be in a good mood right now, so, 2-D's head was safe from his whacks and his trousers would stay up. Good.

Still, maybe he should try his luck with Murdoc's good mood.

"Eh, so, Murdoc?" he started.

So far so good, no blow to the head or insults.

"Yeah, Faceache?"

Okay, minus that annoying nickname.

"So, yer happy that Noodle's 'ere. And you like 'er, too?" 2-D continued.

Murdoc looked at the singer. He seemed to be evaluating his thoughts. 2-D never saw him do that before, it was almost fascinating to watch him make the odd faces and stare off into the distance.

"Ah, yeah. That kid ain't such a bother after all." Murdoc answered. "But don't get me wrong, dullard. Jus' cuz the kid is 'ere, that doesn't mean I'm gonna be all nice and friendly. After all, what fun would your life be without some chaotic fun from Murdoc Niccals?"

The alcoholic man smirked at 2-D, sending arctic waves of terror down his scrawny neck and stress bubbles form in his stomach. He should have known Murdoc would say that, it was so like him.

"And don't think I'm all fuzzy wuzzy and happy sappy with the sprout. This is strictly professional. Being a family man had never been my thing, and it never will be." Murdoc said in an as-a-matter-of-fact tone.

2-D blinked once and shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, okay, if you say so… But, uh, who knows? Noodle might just captivate you like she has wif me and Russ."

Murdoc stared at the singer for a few moments then grimaced. He walked over to him and then flicked his monkey-like nose, which was a little more painful than it sounded. What, with Murodc's grisly fingers and maniacally untrimmed nails. 2-D yelped like a puppy while his index finger rubbed his nose in comfort.

"Shut up, twerp." Murdoc grumbled.

The bassist then walked away, possibly to get more alcohol. Jeez, you think he'd get sick of it at this point! Did he even drink water? 2-D could only wonder…

 **Meanwhile… In Murdoc's Winnebago…**

Murdoc had already polished off one bottle of high proof liquor and went for another. In a way he was drinking to celebrate the newly formed band. And he had remembered his working title for their name was "Gorilla". That was too bland and boring to him, but he still wanted to keep it, but add pizzazz to it.

"Hmm…" Murdoc pondered.

He raised the bottle to his lips and sipped the revolting drink. Well, it would be revolting to someone else, but to him it was the best thing ever.

"Suppose I could… add another letter? Gorillas?"

Nah, that still sounded gay. Then, Murdoc thought how funny it was that the word "gorillas" sounded like it had a 'z' at the end and not an 's'. By rights it sounds like it should be spelled "Gorillaz" and not "Gorillas".

Murdoc's two toned eyes widened and he dropped the bottle, which he had thankfully emptied whilst thinking about the whole Gorillas with a 'z' thing. The last thing he needed was the real Egyptian silk of his bed soiled with beer.

"Actually," Murdoc said, sitting up slowly. "That's not a bad idea…"

* * *

Done! I wanted to get this done yesterday in honor of Noodle's birthday, (and I actually was her in her phase 3 form for Halloween) but here you go anyway! Happy late 28th birthday Noodle! Jeez, hard to believe she started out as a 10 year old girl with memory loss. Look at her now! She's a megawatt-hot badass!

Hope the chapter was good. Also, yes… Real Egyptian Silk… Mm-mmmmm….

Another thing is: I'm sure they had some kind of way to take Noodle in without breaking the law. People would probably notice something, so, of course they had to make sure they legally could keep her. Murdoc has been in and out of prison enough thanks! Also, I'm glad that recently Murdoc is deciding to turn over a new leaf. I had a lot of fun talking to him on Messenger over the past few months.

R&R!


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Sorted Out

"So, let me get this straight, Mr. Hobbs."

Russel had brought Noodle in to see a professional. She was now over on the carpet, doodling on a piece of paper that was given to her by the man. She seemed happy and very confident in what she was drawing.

"This girl showed up in a FedEx crate, she does not know where she is or where she came from, she cannot speak English, and she says her name is… Noodle?" the man, whose name was actually Benjamin, asked.

Russel nodded.

"Noodle" seems to be the only English word she knows. And she kept repeating it and pointing at herself, so, I guess it's her name." he added to the nod.

Ben shuffled the papers. He also straightened up his glasses and crossed his legs. He stole one glance at Noodle over on the floor. She was still colouring, and she also started to hum just a little bit.

"And you wish to keep this girl?" he asked,

Russel nodded. He couldn't say he was convinced by Murdoc to keep her, Ben would probably freak out. He knew Ben faintly, because he saw Murdoc get into a bar brawl with him once, of course it was the Satanist's fault because he was extremely drunk and started it.

"Why?" Ben asked, catching Russel out of his thoughts.

The black man rubbed his bald head and sighed. He looked over at the sweet little Japanese girl behind him. She seemed so happy with her drawing and whatever song was stuck in her head, this made him smile graciously at her.

"Well, let's just say I need a little sunshine in my life. And Noodle is… the sunshine I've been looking for."

He wasn't lying. As well as her badass guitar skills, he also adored how small and cute she was, not to mention she'd make good sister material for 2-D. That man deserved more happiness considering that he's been through hell since Murdoc recruited him for the band. And by recruited, he meant forced into being the lead singer and being cheated on by the bassist. Either way, everyone could have some happiness. Russel wasn't sure about Murdoc being exactly "happy" in the same way they were about Noodle being with them, but he seemed sincere about keeping his word to assist in taking care of her.

"Besides," Russel added. "I think she's already emotionally attached to us, so, it'd be kinda bad to tear her away."

Ben nodded and looked over at Noodle once more.

"Mr. Hobbs, you live with two other men? Stuart Pot and… Murdoc Niccals?"

Russel's palms grew sweaty, but he nodded all the same.

"And you think it's a good idea to raise a 10 year old girl in the same home as him?" Ben asked.

Russel sighed.

"No, I think it's a horrible idea. The worst one ever, because I know how terrible Muds is… But, I also have never known him to hit a kid. Besides, he seemed pleased to the fact that she liked us."

Ben placed his glasses on his face and his eyes scanned the papers on his desk. He saw information about the three men that wanted this girl so badly.

Russel Hobbs, nice guy with excellent manners, expelled from school, due to demon possessions, only survivor in a school shooting.

Stuart Pot, only child of David and Rachel Pot, former employee at Uncle Norm's Keyboard Emporium, very kind, but not all there, knocked into a coma with an eight-ball fracture then later revived with a second car accident.

Murdoc Niccals, horrible criminal record, claimed Satanist, has a drinking problem, history of being abused by his father and abandoned by his mother as a baby.

These three men didn't seem like parenting types, and it would most likely be a very dangerous idea for Noodle to stay with them. After all, she's only about 9 or 10 at most, and she can't even speak English. But going back to the fact that she's attached to them emotionally, he knew it would affect her if they took her away.

"Russ! Russ!" a tiny voice exclaimed.

Russel looked over and saw Noodle holding a piece of paper up to him. It was of course scribbly, that much he would expect, but he also could make out what it was. It was him, 2-D, Murdoc, and Noodle herself standing together. Russel was smiling with closed eyes, 2-D was holding Noodle and they both smiled, Murdoc was also smiling with jagged teeth and angry eyebrows.

Russel smiled at the picture and patted Noodle's head. He thanked her in Japanese, and Noodle said "Doitashimashte," to him with a head bow and a giggle.

Ben leaned forward, his hands folded neatly on his desk.

"You can understand her?" he asked with a hint of interest.

Russel nodded.

"I studied Japanese a while back, but I'm still a bit rusty." he added to his nod.

Ben looked at Noodle. Black, spiky hair, shining, innocent eyes, not to mention she was tiny. She seemed enamoured with Russel and if she ever saw him hurt or scared or was torn away from him, she would be broken and shattered. He knew this would probably result in disaster, but he had to do it.

"Very, well, then I've decided." Ben spoke. "You are now responsible for this girl."

Russel's ears perked up, he stared at Ben in disbelief. Was he serious about this?!

"R-Really?!" he exclaimed.

Ben nodded and repositioned his glasses, he reached into his desk and pulled out a document. He pushed it towards Russel with a pen.

"Read all the terms before signing. And once you sign, there is no going back."

Russel picked up the paper, his white eyes scanned the document. Though it would be hard to tell considering he had no pupils.

 **Parental Adoption Form**

 **By reading this document, you confirm that you wish to adopt the child known as _, and he/she will be entrusted to you. You will be required to feed, supervise, and care for them until such time when you cannot or when the child comes of age. By signing it, we entrust the life of the child to you, and you must also educate them, by either means of public or home education, you must makes sure the child receives frequent check-ups and gets his/her vaccines regularly, and if the child is sick or requires surgery, it will be covered by your medical insurance.**

 **By signing this, you confirm you are over 18 and a legal adult. You also confirm you are qualified to handle raising a child, and you have a good job that will help provide for possible future funds for college that your child may or may not attend.**

 **Sign here _**

 **Print here _**

 **Place the name of the child here _**

 **Other info here _**

Once Russel finished reading the form, he took one last look at Noodle then nodded. He took in a deep breath, chasing away his nerves. He couldn't believe he was doing this, he never thought he'd have a kid in his life. He never thought that he'd be adopting one, either, if he ever would have one. He signed his signature, then printed it, and when he got to the line where he was supposed to put Noodle's name, he stopped.

"Uh, Ben? I don't know her last name." the black drummer said.

Ben shrugged his shoulders with indifference.

"You can use your last name, if you want. Since she's gonna be your kid, she'll inherit your last name anyway."

Russel signed her name on the line, putting his surname after it. "Noodle Hobbs", it read. Kinda sounded silly to him at first, but he was sure he'd get used to it. He pushed the document towards Ben and the man took it. He folded it neatly and place it into his desk.

"Pleasure, sir, thank you very very much." Russel said, standing up.

He and Ben shook hands and bid farewell. Noodle placed her hands together as if she was praying and bowed her head to Ben.

"Arigatō, misutā, sayōnara." she said.

Ben raised his eyebrows; he didn't understand what she said.

"Er, she said thanks and goodbye," Russel explained, seeing Ben's face.

"How do I say "You're welcome"?" he asked.

"Doitashimashite," Russel answered.

Ben said this to Noodle, rather awkwardly since it was a strange sounding word to him, but she seemed to accept it and joined her new dad over by the door. She held his giant hand as tightly as possible with a childish smile plastered to her face.

The two walked out of Ben's office and headed for Kong Studios. Noodle leaned out the side of the buggy and rested her head on her folded arms, eyes closed, the wind blowing through her black hair. She fresh air felt good on her face, and she felt good to be out of that Pull-Up and into a fresh set of clothes. She felt good to have a home and a dad and a brother.

But what was Murdoc to her? She didn't know yet, she still had to know him better before she could decide what their relationship was. She was sure there was something more to him…

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

"Here, ye go! Get the cooool, get the cool shoeshiiiine~"

Murdoc grumbled at 2-D who resided in the recording booth in front of him. They were trying to record the vocals for one of the songs for like the "billionth" time, but something about 2-D's voice didn't fit with the hook. It sounded good for the main parts about Nike shoes and a monkey watching a vapor trail, but he didn't fit well with the shoeshine bit.

Murdoc stopped the instrumental and told him to shut up.

"I don't bloody understand why your angelic voice keeps fucking up the hook!" he grumbled.

2-D removed the head phones and stepped away from the microphone.

"Dunno if I should take that as a compliment or an insult." the bluenette pondered.

2-D exited the recording booth and sat in a chair across the room from Murdoc. He wanted to say sorry for not being useful, but he decided not to, because every time he'd apologize to Murdoc, the bassist would just smack him over the head or say, "Not as sorry as yer gonna be, you twat." Sometimes he'd do both if felt like it!

2-D hummed a tune awkwardly. It was a song he wanted to tell Murdoc about for their album, but he was too scared to tell him for fear of rejection. Speaking of which…

'Paula… why'd you reject me? Why'd you go for 'im instead of me… I thought you loved me?' he thought.

He didn't know why Paula somehow popped back up in his mind. Maybe the word "rejection" just triggered something in his memory and one thought just lead to another. Like a chain, or something other.

He also wondered if Murdoc liked Paula. He said she was a "rubbish looking bird", meaning an "ugly looking girl", but he also recalled Russel telling him that there was no way it wasn't consensual. And Murdoc telling him he was "doing him a favor"? God, what was 2-D even thinking of at this point?! He wasn't sure where his dumb brain was going with this mishmash of thoughts, but he just wanted it to stop.

Instead, he tried to lighten up the mood and talk about the song.

"Oi, Murdoc?" the Cockney man spoke.

Murdoc looked up, his two-toned eyes as dull as ever.

"Where'd ya… get the inspiration fer this song?" 2-D asked.

Murdoc took in a deep inhale and crossed his legs, touching each of his fingertips to each other while placing his hands on his knee. He shifted his eyes up to the ceiling as his lip curled into a pondering position. He stayed like that for a while before crossing his arms and hunching forward, his elbows resting on either of his knees.

"Dunno, actually. But I think it's one of the best ones on the album so far, even if I do say so myself." Murdoc said, sounding proud of himself.

2-D nodded, he also liked it. 19-2000, such a peculiar name for the song.

"Well, uh, if ya ask me, it sounds like the kinda song you'd listen to while driving a Geep down a highway." he said.

Murdoc's eyes moved over to look at 2-D. Then his yellow-ish skin seemed to regain more colour, as if he was just struck by inspiration. Murdoc Niccals struck by inspiration… 2-D better start running now.

"Heh, ya know, twerp, that's actually not a bad idea!" the gravelly voice bassist exclaimed.

"Wha?" 2-D squeaked.

Before Murdoc could ramble about his idea, whatever the hell it was, the door to the booth opened. It was Russel and Noodle! 2-D stood up and made a dumb grin at the two, wasting no time in running over to greet them. He only said "Hey, Russ," to the drummer, but picked Noodle up into his arms and spun her around in the air, even tossing her up a little ways.

"Ā! Iya, iya ̄ !" Noodle giggled and squealed. "Toochie onii-chan, iya!"

Murdoc rolled his eyes at the childish man and approached Russel.

"Well?" he said.

Russel rolled his eyes, if you saw his pupils he would, anyway, and nodded.

"She's ours now," he explained.

"I signed the papers, I know all the ins and outs of what to do, and as long as we work together, Noodle will grow up, just fine."

Murdoc smiled with his jagged teeth. Finally they had a band! He could finally be famous, and rub his success in everyone's faces, he could show the world the star he was meant to be, he could finally prove to his bastard dad that he would amount to something after all, and that he was the wrong one.

"Well, I guess now there's only one thing left to do: Name our band." Murdoc said.

"Name? Didn't you have one already?" Russel asked, raising one bushy eyebrow.

"Yeah, well, I've decided I don't like it anymore, lards." Murdoc replied.

'Of course you did, because how can you not?' Russel thought.

2-D set Noodle down beside him and put his attention on Murdoc.

"So… what's our name gonna be?" he asked.

Murdoc turned around to face them all, he smirked a painful smirk at them.

"We are the one, the only, the biggest band in the world: Gorillaz!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. 2-D and Russel were still processing the name, but Noodle, being the hyper child she is, got excited by Murdoc being excited.

"Yaay! Gorr-i-razzuuu!" she cheered.

* * *

Done! And to quote Kyle Schwartz from South Park: "I'm baaaaccck!" I know you guys probably missed this fic, and I did too! But right now I need a favour: What should happen next? I have many ideas, but I wanna know what should happen next?

Idea 1: Noodle sees Murdoc getting frustrated by the hook of "19-2000" and how 2-D's voice doesn't work with it. But, how can she help?

Idea 2: Noodle wants to know more about Murdoc, so, she can have closure over what he is to her, but why is he avoiding her? Nani?

Idea 3: Noodle wanders into a sleeping Russel's room at night, being scared by a noise. But she sees someone she has not yet met in Kong? And he's a… ghost rapper?!

Tell me which one you want next, and then I'll tally the results! Also, be sure to tell me what you thought of this chapter too. And yes, it is true that if you separate a child from someone they are emotionally attached to, it can affect their mental health.

R&R!


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